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(ModeL) W. E. OFFICER. Shoe.

No. 229,172. Patented June 22, 71880.

rl. PEI'ERS, PNOTO-LJTHOGRAPHER. WAN1NGTON, n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

WILLIAM E. OFFICER, OF MENDON, ASSIGNOR TO 0. M. BEALL AND JULIUS B. ANDERSON, or VILLE, MICHIGAN.

SAME PLACE, AND JOHN A. J. METZGER', OF CENTRE- SHOE.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,172, dated June 22, 1880.

Application filed April 27, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. OFFICER,

of Mendon, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the aceompan yin gdrawin g, which forms part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in shoes; and it consists in combining, with all that class of shoes which have elastics in their sides, narrow heel lifters or straps, coming on a direct line from the point of heel over the top of the instep, one strap being longer than the other, so as to allow it to pass around and above the instep to a shorter strap on the other side, which has a buckle attached to it, and

these two straps are buckled or otherwise fastened together, so as to hold the shoe more securely and comfortably on the foot and pre vent the stretching of the rubber, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The accompanying drawing is a side elevation of a shoe embodying my invention.

A represents a gait-er or other shoe having the elastic B in each side. Either secured o separately to the shoe, or forminga part of the piece G, which passes around the upper part of the heel of the shoe, are the two straps or heeLIifters, I), one of which is longer than the other. The free ends of these two straps are 3 5 buckled or otherwise fastened together a suitable distance above the instep of the foot, as shown, and serve not only to support the shoe at the heel, but to prevent all stretching of the rubber. The lower ends of these straps are 0 sewed to or form a part of the quarters of the shoe above the inner end of the hee1, so that they will exert their upward pressure at the most effective part in holding the shoe upon the foot, and so that theywill pass directly (Model) across and over the rubber, and thus prevent 5 all strain and wear from coming upon it.

I am aware that straps have been used in connection with a. shoe having elastics in its sides; but in this case the straps have been secured to the shoe just over the hollow of the under side of the foot and forward of the rubber, where. they do not protect the rubber in the slightest degree, and do not support the shoe at the heel, the very place where the support is needed to hold the shoe comfortably 5 5 upon the foot.

I am also aware that elastics have been placed insideof the common form of shoes or bootees, as shown in Patent No. 145,117, so as to fill the corner between the foxing- 6o pieee'and front of the shoe,,and which elastic has no play or use whatever after the shoe is laced and tied in the usual manner.

Elastics have also been placed in congressgaiters, which elastics have been covered by flaps which buckle over them, so as to hide them entirely from view. In no case, however, have the elastics been combined with straps which in nowise interfere with the elastics, and which straps are fastened just over the front edges of the heels, so as to act as heel-lifters.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A gaiter or shoe having elastics in its sides and provided with straps D, which are secured to the vertical side edges of the quarters above the front end of the heel and pass diagonally over the sides of the elastics, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of March, 1880.

WILLIAM EDWARD OFFICER.

Witnesses CHAS. J. SLoVER, J. M. LAIRD. 

